This invention relates to valve mechanism and more particularly to a shut-off valve for an in-ground sprinkler system that is typically utilized to water or irrigate lawns and the like.
As is well known to those skilled in the irrigation system technology, sprinkler systems as utilized to irrigate and water lawns, golf courses, athletic fields, and the like and comprise typically in-ground sprinklers that are of the type that are embedded into the ground and pop-up when deployed or rest above the ground and are connected to a water source and are grouped in zones. Typically, an activating system automatically turns the system on and water is directed to one or more zones that comprise a plurality of individual sprinklers. As is well known in the repair or maintenance of each of the sprinklers, the operator has to either work on an individual sprinkler in a given zone with the water on or alternatively, shut-off the system in that zone in order to repair or maintain or replace an individual sprinkler. Obviously, shutting off the water by turning the system or zone on and off is cumbersome and time consuming since the controls are usually remote from the sprinkler being worked on and requires several trips to the remotely mounted shut-off control or valve. At times, two people are required to perform this function, one for controlling the on/off of the water and the other doing the repair.
I have found that I can obviate this problem noted in the immediate above paragraphs, by including a valve at each of the sprinklers and by virtue of and in accordance with this invention the removal of the sprinkler or sprinkler head turns the valve to the closed position and the insertion of the sprinkler or sprinkler head turns the valve to the on position. Thus, the operator merely has to remove the sprinkler while the system is in the xe2x80x9conxe2x80x9d position and while water is flowing to the sprinklers in the zone and the valve of my invention will turn the water off of that individual sprinkler so that the repair, replacement or maintenance can be performed. After the work is completed the sprinkler is returned and screwed into the shut-off valve which is attached to the piping and the shut-off valve of my invention is automatically turned on.
An option that is provided with the shut-off valve is that since the shut-off valve has infinite positions and hence, can change the flow area, the shut-off valve can be utilized as a metering valve to limit the amount of water flow into the sprinkler and hence, in a sense, control the flow out of the sprinkler. This affords the advantage of regulating the output of the sprinkler where in situations the throw of the water emitted from the sprinkler is further than is desired and needs to be shortened. This is accomplished by adjusting the shut-off valve to a position that is less than full opened.
An adapter is contemplated by this invention which serves to turn on and off the sprinkler and can be utilized to provide water at the cite where it be used for cleaning purposes or to connect a hose thereto to provide water in nearby locations.
An object of this invention is to provide a valve mounted to the sprinkler in the water line that is capable of shutting off the flow of water when the sprinkler is removed and allowing the flow of water water when the sprinkler is inserted into the line via the shut-off valve.
A feature of this invention is the combination of a sprinkler and shut-off valve where the shut off valve includes infinite settings to vary the flow area to limit the flow of water being delivered to the sprinkler.
Another feature of this invention is the design of the shut-off valve so that it is utilized in an in-line water line that permits the flow of water to sprinklers mounted downstream thereof or where the shut-off valve is mounted on an individual sprinkler that does not flow water to a downstream sprinkler.
Another feature of this invention is to provide an adapter and shut-off valve combination that shuts-off the flow of water when mounted in the place of a sprinkler and opens the shut-off valve to provide the flow of water for uses other than the normal sprinkling systems""s use.
The foregoing and other features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings.